Die-sinking press for marking plates while in motion



G. E. MARTIN Feb. 4, 1964 DIE-SINKING PRESS FOR MARKING PLATES WHILE INMOTION Filed June 28, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 l/V l/E/V T0,? GEORGE E.MART/IV By M I? M Attorney Feb. 4, 1964 G. E. MARTIN 3,120,175

DIE-SINKING PRESS FOR MARKING PLATES WHILE IN MOTION Filed June 28, 19614 Sheets-Sheet 3 TIE-=3 GEORGE E. MART/N Affamey Feb.'4, 1964 G. E.MARTIN 3, 0, 75

DIE-SINKING PRESS FOR MARKING PLATES WHILE IN MOTION Filed June 28, 19614 Sheets-Sheet 4 After/75y United States Patent DiE-SINKING PRESS FORMARKENG PLATES George E. Martin, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor, by mesneassignments, to United States Steel Corporation, a corpcration of NewJersey Filed June 28, 1961, Ser. No. 129,349 8 Claims. (Cl. 101-4) Thisinvention relates to apparatus for making die impressions in a metalproduct while moving along a horizontal conveyor.

In the manufacture of metal products, e.g., steel plate, it is desirableto mark the product when finished, for identification. For permanent andpositive identification as to manufacture, heat, analysis, etc.,customers require die stamping of the plates. Hand stamping is slow andtedious. It also requires that the plate be held stationary. The latteris also true of a rectiiiriearly reciprocating die. It is accordinglythe object of my invention to provide apparatus for die-marking a steelproduct such as a plate or the like while it is still at a substantialtemperature, e.g., 1800 F. A further object is to provide a die-sinkingpress having die wheels adapted to engage a plate traveliug along aroller table, and power means under remote control for adjusting saidwheels.

In a preferred embodiment, my invention comprises a car supported fortravel transversely above the path of the plate to be die-stamped. Acage is mounted on eccentrics journaled in a frame depending from thecar. A housing movable vertically in the cage has die wheels journaiedin the bottom thereof and power means for adjusting them to desiredposition. The cage, by virtue of its mounting on the eccentrics, travelsthrough a circular path without altering its angular position. As thehousing traverses the lower portion of its path, the die Wheels engage aplate on the roller table under the weight of the housing and the partscarried thereby, thus imprinting the desired identifying indiciatherein.

A complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from thefollowing detailed description and explanation which refer to theaccompanying drawings illustrating the present preferred embodiment. Inthe drawmgs:

FIGURE 1 is a plan View;

FIGURE 2 is an elevation showing the roller table and plate thereon intransverse section;

FIGURE 3 is a partial section taken along the plane of ine III-III ofFIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a section taken along the plane of line IV-lV of FIGURE 3.

Referring now in detail to the drawings and, for the present,particularly to FIGURES l and 2, the apparatus of my invention,indicated generally at 10, is suspended from a car 1-1 traveling onbeams 12. The beams are supported by posts 13 and extend across a rollertable 14 on which a plate 15 is conveyed. Car 11 has wheels 16 traelingon rails 17 secured to the beams and is actuated therealong by drivechains 11a attached thereto and trained through channels 11b and oversprockets 18 and 19 at opposite ends of the beams. A reversible motor 20drives sprocket 18 through a gear reducer 18a to position the car asdesired.

Plates 21, 22 and 23 depend vertically from the frame of car 11 inspaced relation along the length thereof. A base 24 extending betweenplates 21 and 22 supports a motor 25, a gear reducer 26 and a pneumaticclutch 27. Plates 22 and 23, together with connecting top and bot tomtransoms 28 and 28 constitute a frame 29 enclosing a cage 30 mountedtherein for rotary movement as will now be explained. Gear boxes 31 and32 extending laterally from plates 22 and 23, respectively, have pairsof coaxial shafts 33 and 33 journaled therein, one pair on each side ofthe common axis of reducer 26 and clutch 27 (see FIGURE 1). Each shaft33, 33 has a disc 34 thereon. Crank pins on the discs extend intobearings 35 on opposite sides of cage 30. The two pairs of crank pinssupport the cage rigidly in space and, on rotation of the eccentrics,impart to the cage continuous motion in a circular path.

A shaft 36 forming part of clutch 27 is journaled in gear box 31 and hasa pinion 37 thereon meshing with gears 38 and 38 on shafts 33 and 33 onthe drive side of frame 29. Cross shafts 39 and 39 journaled in frame 29have gears 49 and 4d thereon meshing with gears 38 and 38'. Throughidentical gearing on the far side of frame 29, shafts 39 and 39' drivethe shafts 33 and 33 on that side. Thus all four discs 34 are driven inthe same direction at the same speed.

Cage 36 is a box-like structure which comprises spaced side plates 41connected by a transom comprising cross bars 42 and 43 and a top plate43a. The cage is open at the bottom. A die-wheel housing 44, also abox-like structure having side plates 44', connected by cross bars andtop and bottom plates, is suspended within cage 30 by means of a T-headscrew 45 pivoted to bearings 46 on top of the housing. The screw hasthreaded thereon a sleeve 47 rotatable and slidable in a thrust bearing48 on top plate 43a. A motor 49 mounted on the top plate drives thesleeve through a reduction gear 50. Housing 44 is free for movementupwardly in cage 3%. Such movement is guided by wheels 51 journaled onstub shafts 52 secured to plates 41. Wheels 51 travel on V-rails 53 onthe housing. The lowermost position of the housing 44 in cage 3% isdetermined by the adjustment of screw 45. When the sleeve 47 is drivento run the screw entirely out of it, housing 44 may be dropped from thecage through the open bottom thereof.

Housing 44 has bearing blocks 54 set in the lower edges of plates 44 anda die-wheel shaft 55 is clamped in these blocks. Spacers 56 at thebottom of plates 22 and 23 confine the blocks and shaft laterally. Diewheels 57 are rotatable on shaft 55. Each wheel is angularly adjustableby a gear 53 meshing with teeth formed thereon and each gear isadjustable by a rack 59 engaging a pinion integral with the gear. Asshown in FIGURE 3, the

cars 58 and their racks and pinions are arranged in two groups, one oneach side of shaft 55. The gears are journaled on shafts 58. The racksand pinions of adjacent die wheels are located one in each group. Eachrack is actuated by a multiple-position fluid-pressure cylinder andpiston 6i) (Westinghouse Air Brake 00.) mounted on cross bars 61extending between side plates 44'. Slide bearing fingers 62 mounted onsimilar cross bars 53 hold the racks in engagement with their pinions.

Each cylinder 60 has a plurality of ports 6-4 and, by admitting air tovarious combinations thereof by operating suitable valves 69a, theirpistons may be caused to take a selected position in the cylinder. ThusWheels 57 may be adjusted to desired positions through the racks 59 andgears 58. A wedge 65 between groups of gears 58, operable by a pneumaticcylinder and piston 66, engages the gears to frictionally hold them inadjusted position. Cylinder 66 is mounted on a cross bar 67.

As shown in chain lines in FIGURE 3, when cage 30 passes through thelower portion of its path, the peripheries of die wheels 57 bottom onplate 15 and housing 44 is arrested in its descent so it rises slightlyin the cage as the latter continues to move downward and thenhorizontally along with the advancing plate. Sleeve 47 risescorrespondingly in bearing 48. Thus the wheels sink their dies in theplate under the impact of the descending housing and all the partscarried thereby. This effects a clearly readable marking of the plate.

3 It will be apparent that my invention is characterized by numerousadvantages. In the first place, the speed of the cage in its circularpath can be made substantially equal to that of the plate to be marked.The die-wheels thus move'with the plate during the interval in whichthey are in contact therewith. The die wheels may easily be adjusted bycontrol valves Gila in the air supply lines (not shown) to cylinders 6t)and, whenonce adjusted, the wheels may be locked by Wedge 65. Housing 44may be adjusted vertically in cage 3% by driving sleeve 47, toaccommodate plates of various thicknesses. The kinetic energy of housing4 5 as it descends, sutiices to sink the dies on wheels 57 withoutfurther pressure. Car 19 mounting the apparatus fer movement acrosstable 14 permits the die marks to be placed in the desired positionrelative to the center line of the plate and also the withdrawal of thewhole apparatus to an out-of-t .e-Way position at one side of the table.Housing 44, furthermore, may be dropped bodily from cage 36 when the caris in the latter position.

Although I have disclosed herein the preferred embodiment of myinvention, I intend to cover as well any change or modification thereinwhich may be made Without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for marking product as it moves along a predetermined pathcomprising a frame including spaced parallel side plates disposedvertically above said path, spaced opposed crank means journaledadjacent said plates respectively, and normal thereto, a box-like cagemounted on said means between said plates and adapted to be transportedby said means about a circular path, a boxlike housing reciprocablevertically in said cage, marking wheels journaled in said housing andadjustable means suspending the housing in said cage.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, characterized by said suspendingmeans including a thrust bearing whereby said housing may be arrestedwhile said cage isdespending. 1

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2, characterized by said suspendingmeans including a screw threaded through said bearing and connected tosaid housing.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, characterized by gear boxes carriedon said plates, respectively, said crank means being journaled in saidboxes.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, characterized by roller means andways on said cage and housing, guiding movement of the latter relativeto the former.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, characterized by a car adapted totravel transversely above said path, said frame depending from said car.

7. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, characterized by said cage beingopen at the bottom whereby said housing may be dropped therefrom.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, characterized by said adjustablemeans including a transom extending across the topof said cage, 21vertical thrust beming on said transom, an internally threaded sleeverotatable and axially slidable in said bearing, and a screw threadedinto said sleeve, said housing hanging from said screw.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES FATENTS MillerMar. 6, 1962

1. APPARATUS FOR MARKING PRODUCT AS IT MOVES ALONG A PREDETERMINED PATHCOMPRISING A FRAME INCLUDING SPACED PARALLEL SIDE PLATES DISPOSEDVERTICALLY ABOVE SAID PATH, SPACED OPPOSED CRANK MEANS JOURNALEDADJACENT SAID PLATES RESPECTIVELY, AND NORMAL THERETO, A BOX-LIKE CAGEMOUNTED ON SAID MEANS BETWEEN SAID PLATES AND ADAPTED TO BE